CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: The Final Battle
It was the final weekend before N.E.W.T. examinations would begin. The exams would be spread out over the course of one week, and the results were to be mailed out to everyone during the first week of summer holidays.
It was a beautiful, clear Saturday afternoon outside, and the only reason you could tell how close they were to summer holidays was by glancing around at the amount of students packed into the library. Filled beyond capacity, Madame Pince had to conjure up dozens of extra tables and chairs to accommodate everyone.
Harry had already finished with his daily review of Care of Magical Creatures. He had that exam Monday afternoon, but of all his subjects it was the one he was the least worried about. He had faith that Hagrid would not give them anything too challenging. He would look over his notes one last time on Monday morning when he got back from his Herbology exam.
He was proud of how well his revising was going, when he came across a passage on medicinal herbs that grew in the wild and were known to have enormous healing powers. He started thinking of where Ginny was at that particular moment, and what he would say to her when she came back Sunday night. He hated how the last conversation they had before her departure had been an argument.
"Harry!" Hermione snapped at him in a hushed voice.
She brought him out of his daydream like trance, and he realized he'd been tapping his quill against the open book in front of him. "Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. The last thing he wanted to do was make Hermione snap two days before the start of what would be the biggest examinations of their lives.
"You've been in a state like this since Ginny left," she said, allowing herself a momentary breather from her studying. "I'd say you've gotten to the point where you're beyond unbearable."
"All this studying is just getting to me is all."
"No, that's not it," she said, not believing him for a second. "You can't understand that after what happened with the spell that Ginny's still angry with you, correct?"
Harry looked over at Ron who had stopped studying as well to listen, before shrugging in response to Hermione's question.
"Harry, what's wrong with you?" She said in exasperation. "You read her diary, for Merlin's sake! It's the most private and personal possession a girl owns. That's an ultimate breach in trust right there."
"I know that!" Harry cried in a loud whisper, causing Madame Pomfrey to send a scowl of disapproval his way. "But if I hadn't I never would have known that Sirius was responsible for breaking us up."
"That's no excuse, Harry," she told him. "Look, she's not mad at you for finding out about Sirius. I'm sure she's relieved that you finally know. What she's angry about is everything you read leading up to and after what Sirius did. There's a lot of things in there she never wanted anyone to know, and probably a lot of them had to do with you."
Harry sank back against his chair. Of course he had come across plenty of personal stuff about himself, and as much as he had wanted to skip it, his curiousity won out at wanting to know what Ginny had wrote about him. Some of it was so personal he had blushed just reading it. But when she had asked, he had lied and said he had skimmed over mostly everything. He didn't want to embarrass her any more then she already had been at the time.
"I know if someone ever read my diary I'd probably never speak to them again."
"You have a diary?" Both boys said in unison.
"That's not the point," she said, slightly flustered. "The point is Ginny is well within her right never to speak to you again, Harry."
"Thanks, Hermione. That makes me feel so much better," Harry remarked sarcastically.
Hermione looked at him sharply. "Then find out where she is and go to her. Make her listen."
"Even if I did that, I wouldn't know what to say to her."
"Tell her how sorry you are. Tell her if you had to do it over, you wouldn't read her diary."
"I can tell her all that tomorrow night when she gets back."
"It might mean more to her if you do it before then," Hermione pointed out to him.
"When did you become such a hopeless romantic?" Ron teased.
"I just know where Ginny's coming from, and if Harry wants to have a chance with her, he might have to do a few extreme things."
"Just how extreme are we talking?" Harry asked, somewhat worried. If she was expecting him to become some romantic guy to win Ginny back, he would never be able to do that. He might as well just give up now.
"Harry, forget about that for now. Just focus on finding Ginny and telling her everything you should have told her before she left," Hermione advised him.
"Harry, just do whatever you have to do to find my sister, because you're driving us both up the bloody wall," Ron complained.
Harry looked at them both, carefully considering his options. He could wait another day for her to return, and continue to drive his friends crazy in the process. Or he could find out where she was, tell her everything and be back in time for dinner, with a much clearer head. At the very least, they would be able to resolve some issues, though whether it would be for the better he didn't know. What he did know was that the way things were between Ginny and himself, he had nothing to lose by going to her. There was no possible way he could make the situation any worse.
After a great deal of begging, Harry was finally able to convince the Hogwarts Matron to tell him Ginny's whereabouts. He tried to make it seem like it was a matter of life and death, and she had finally, albeit in a very disgruntled way, coughed up the information. He used the tunnel inside Hogwarts to sneak into Hogsmeade. From the fireplace inside the Three Broomsticks he used it to transport himself to the Leaky Cauldron in London. From there, he grabbed a portkey (a rusted old pop bottle) lying against a garbage can down a deserted alleyway, which transported him to a small community on the outskirts of London.
It wasn't until he had walked almost halfway through the small wizarding town that he saw the medium-sized castle where Ginny had to be staying. It could almost be described as a miniature version of Hogwarts, except it looked a lot less elaborative. Some parts looked frayed and old, and certain sections looked like the only reason they had not collapsed was because they were being held in place by magic alone.
He was able to pinpoint Ginny among the groups of robed wizards and witches walking around. There was a gargoyle fountain out in front, spraying water into the air, and that's where he spotted Ginny. She was sitting with two other witches who looked to be around the same age as her. She didn't notice Harry until the other witches with her looked up at the stranger approaching them.
"Hi," he said to her, shifting uncomfortably on his feet because he was uncertain as to how she would react at seeing him there.
She looked completely thrown at his presence. "How did you know to come here?"
"You'd be surprised at how understanding Madame Pomfrey can be."
Ginny stood up and quietly excused herself from the girls she was sitting with. Then she grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him a safe distance away so they wouldn't be overheard.
"Why did you follow me?" She sounded angry.
"I needed to talk to you," he said, and it sounded lame even to his own ears.
"Look, Harry, I'll be back tomorrow. I'm sure whatever it is it can wait 'til then."
She meant to walk away and leave him standing there, but he made a quick move to block her path.
"I didn't come all this way so you could just keep on pretending that you hate me."
She folded her arms across her chest. "Then what did you come here for?" She challenged.
He thought about what Hermione had told him to say. He really did want to stop fighting and make up, but he wasn't going to take the apologetic route anymore. He'd already done that and it had gotten him nowhere. But he did intend to follow through on Hermione's advice about telling her what he should have since the beginning of all this.
"I'm not sorry that I read your diary," he said, and watched as her face transform into a mask of fury. "But we've both betrayed each other's trust, so don't tell me what I did was unforgivable, when what you did was just as inexcusable."
"And that's supposed to justify what you did?"
"Were you any more justified in doing what you did?" He shot back. "You should have came to me and told me about Sirius. Then I wouldn't have spent months trying to force myself to hate you."
"Sirius, wasn't so far off, Harry. I knew he was right, even if I didn't want to admit it. You would have sacrificed too much for me."
He was growing weary of all this arguing. They weren't making any progress. All the blaming had to stop. "I don't want to fight with you anymore. I'm just as sick of it as you are. What we need to talk about it is how each of us really feels."
He was talking about love, she was sure of that. But where she had always made her feelings as open as a book to him, Harry's had always been distorted and unsure. She knew he cared for her, but what she had never known was how deep his feelings for her ran. He had always purposely kept a certain amount of distance from her. Maybe he was afraid of getting too close, but how could she love someone who was incapable of saying the words out loud?
"Harry, you know how I feel – you've always known. But what I don't know and have never known is what you really feel for me. Maybe you're scared to say it, or maybe you can't because you've never known what real love is, so where does that leave us?"
He felt like their whole future was riding on what he said next, and even though he knew what he had to say, the one word that fix all of this, he just couldn't. He could scream out that he loved her, but would she spend the rest of her life wondering if he had actually meant it or if she had simply forced him into saying it?
Without warning, the ground rumbled beneath his feet, and the sound of screaming pierced his ears. He and Ginny looked up in time to see the top tower of the castle catch fire. Several meters away, wearing cloaks as dark as night, fourteen or more figures began apparating in small groups around them. Those caught off guard by the attack were the first ones taken down. Even when more wizards and witches came outside with their wands, ready to do battle, the casualties continued to mount.
Down the road in the town they could hear the sounds of destruction as windows shattered and houses were set ablaze. Without even knowing how, Harry knew wasn't like any of the attacks reported by the Daily Prophet. This was it. This was the end. Voldemort was finally coming out – and Harry knew where he would go first.
"We have to get back to Hogwarts," he said urgently, dragging Ginny with him – but she pulled free of his grasp, and he saw the struggle going on behind her eyes as she spoke.
"You have to go. I need to stay here. They're going to need my help with all the injured."
He heard her, but he wasn't listening. He was prepared to carry her kicking and screaming if he had to. Her family would never forgive him if he abandoned her there, even if it was of her own free will.
"I need you," he said, his voice thick with emotion.
Despite the mass destruction going on around them she managed to smile. "You already have everything you need from me," she said, and placed her hand on his chest where his heart was.
He couldn't bring himself to say good-bye, because he felt that if he did that he would be sealing both their fates. So he ran, without looking back. Even when a second explosion rocked the ground behind him he forced himself to keep going. Deep in his gut, he knew the worst was yet to come. He needed to get back to Hogwarts and warn everyone before that happened.
They were halfway through reciting medicinal plants that found in South Africa that could heal burns instantaneously, when Ron heatedly suggested they both take a break. Hermione might be a machine when it came to studying but he wasn't. There was already so much information packed into his brain he felt he would explode if he continued a second longer. Once he got some food into his system he prayed his concentration would come back.
Hermione insisted that he go, and that she would stay behind, but he was having none of that. "Do you want to kill yourself even before your first exam? You've been at this for hours straight, so I don't care if I have to drag you out of here cursing my name, but you're coming."
She closed her book, managing to keep an annoyed air about her for having her studies interrupted, when the truth was she was exhausted. It was not just from revising, either. There were several other worries that popped into her head when she let her attention wonder even for the briefest of seconds. When it came down to it her grades should have been the least of her worries. She would be leaving for a completely foreign country in a few months time, Harry was a wreck, and the threat of an attack by Voldemort loomed closer every day. But none of that concerned her nearly as much as it should have. She was too caught up in wondering what would happen to her and Ron after Hogwarts. She wanted him to be a part of her life, but how much of a role would he play with them living their lives in two different worlds? She didn't even know if they would be able to work things out, as Harry was currently trying to do with Ginny.
"Did you think they'll work things out?" Ron asked suddenly, as if reading her thoughts.
She answered with a shrug. "It depends on if they're both able to put everything that's happened behind them. Even then it might not be enough."
"Harry won't admit it but he's mad about her. And Ginny, well, she's been in love with him forever."
"Sometimes love isn't enough," she said quietly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She put extra effort into closing up her schoolbooks, so she wouldn't have to look at him when she answered. "Sometimes no matter how badly two people want something it doesn't happen. People change, Ron, and for one reason or another they grow apart and things don't work out."
"Are we still talking about my sister and Harry?"
She chose not to reply and packed up the remainder of her school things. When she slung her bag over her shoulder and looked back at him the look he was sending her way she knew quite well.
"You're angry," she said, stating the obvious.
"Of course I'm angry! I had to sit there and listen to you spew out relationship advice to Harry when I don't even have a clue what to do to make things better with us. Look at us, we can't even stand being in the same room together. We're not even friends right now – we're nothing to each other. And it's about time we acknowledged that fact and stop pretending like things will get better on their own."
She couldn't help herself for feeling angry with him at that moment. He was being completely unfair. This whole mess that had once been a strong and loving relationship, was not all her fault. She was not the only one who had messed up.
An angry retort was on the tip of her tongue, when the whole library rumbled around them. Bookshelves came crashing to the floor and the ceiling above them began to crack and break away in spots.
Ron looked at her, and without saying a word they both came to the same conclusion about what was happening. Their own problems suddenly seemed petty to what was going on around them.
"Come on, we've got to get to Gryffindor Tower," Ron said to her. His voice was steady, but the look in his eyes told her he was just as frightened as she was.
Mass panic spread through the library like an epidemic. No one was screaming but everyone was far from calm. Madame Pince had charmed her voice and was attempting to direct the students over the noise.
Hermione and Ron squeezed there way through the chaos of students until they could move more freely in the halls. They met up with Neville and Seamus on the way out of the library, and found Dean, Lavender and Pavarti on the second floor, heading in their direction.
"Where's Harry?" Lavender asked.
"He's not here," Hermione replied as calmly as she could.
"He'll be back," Ron said before Lavender could say anything more. He exchanged a quick look with Hermione after, the both of them knowing that by the time Harry got back, everything could be over – one way or another. But Hermione had to believe that somehow he would figure out what was happening and come back, even when a part of her prayed he would stay away.
They took the shortest route they knew of back to the common room, hearing several more explosions along the way, each one sounding far off. They tried to be as stealthy as possible, not knowing how far the invaders had infiltrated Hogwarts. They jogged in single file with their wands out, with one person checking around every corner they came to, as Lupin had showed them. Once the 'all clear' signal was given, they would continue on.
When they reached the common room, Dean Thomas pulled back a large portrait of the Hogwarts coat of arms and began handing out weapons they had trained with in Lupin's class. Lupin had gone through several mock attack scenarios with them before, but they had never faced any really dangerous foes during those exercises. It was typically bogarts that their professor would release throughout the school for the training exercise.
"We need to split up into two groups," Pavarti spoke at once. "If they're already inside the castle we're too easy to spot as one group."
No one liked the idea of splitting up, but it was the most logical choice to avoid being seen. In the end, Hermione was with Lavender and Seamus, and Ron with Neville, Dean and Pavarti. The plan was meet up by the secret entrance Lupin had showed them into the castle, and from there proceed on to the grounds.
While they rearranged themselves into their groups and began the first talks of battle strategies, Ron gently pulled Hermione aside. He wanted to tell he didn't mean any of what he had in the library, that he had been acting like a git as usual, but his brain seemed incapable of forming the words. Instead, he said, "be careful out there."
"You too," she said, keeping her voice low. "No heroics."
It didn't matter that everyone was around and could see them. Ron brought his lips down to Hermione's for one quick kiss, before pulling away. Anything more and she would have thought he meant to say goodbye – that they weren't going to make it through this. He didn't want her to think that. He wanted her to know that they would both be there when it was all over. As far as he could tell, she understood what he was trying to get across to her.
They moved away from each other without saying a word to join their respective groups. Hermione didn't look back at him as her group departed first. Exactly one minute later, Ron left with Pavarti, Neville and Dean, heading in the opposite direction.
Some part of Harry's brain was holding on to the idea that upon reaching Hogwarts, he would find it as he had left it. He would be able to warn everyone before any bloodshed started. But any hopes he had were destroyed when he saw the place he had called home for the last seven years under attack.
He had only his wand with him, but that would have to be enough. There would be no retreating inside to better arm himself against the onslaught of Death Eaters.
He watched in horror as students fought losing battles against the followers of Voldemort, but the masked figures in hooded cloaks were not Harry's main concern. He fought when he had to, but he pushed on. His primary target remained unseen as of yet.
He frantically searched for any sign of Ron or Hermione, but it was futile with the haze of people and the battle going on around him. The front gate to the school had been destroyed and Death Eaters were plunging their way inside by the dozen. The amount of rubble around him told Harry it was very likely a section of the castle had already been destroyed.
Pain erupted in Harry's scar far worse then he had ever experienced before. He stumbled to an area partially covered with collapsed stones from the castle wall before collapsing to his knees. It was like a thousand knives being stabbed into his forehead, threatening to drive him to the brink of unconsciousness. As impossible as it seemed, he forced himself to try and block it out. When he did, the pain ebbed a way to be nothing more than a dull ache. It was the first time he had felt any indication that the protection spell was working – at least that's what he thought it was.
He heard a frantic voice calling his name. Neville was limping towards him. When he was close enough Harry could see the outline of a nasty bruise forming on his cheekbone.
"Have you seen Ron or Hermione?" Harry asked him.
"I haven't seen Hermione since we left the castle," he replied. "I got separated from Ron and the others."
"How bad are you hurt?"
Neville shook off his concern. "I'll be fine. I've got off easy compared to some."
Harry was struck by how calm he sounded. He sounded nothing like the nervous, accident-prone friend he had come to know during his time at Hogwarts.
Something large and dark moving in the distance caught Harry's eyes. He fought off a sense of fear rising in him. Ignoring Neville's shouts, He took off, back into the thick of the fighting again. He lost sight of the billowing cloak and cursed openly. He saw the section of the castle wall that had been blown away earlier in the battle and ran for it. It was inside. That was the only way it could have escaped so fast.
A strong arm clamped around his, and he had his wand out to shout a string of hexes, when he recognized who had grabbed him. Without saying a word, Harry knew Lupin meant to stop him from going inside.
"Let go! I have to get in there!" Harry shouted at his professor.
"Harry, that's what he wants. You'll be trapped," Lupin said urgently.
With some effort, Harry pushed him off and started running again. Lupin meant to follow but he was cornered by two Death Eaters. Harry was torn between staying and helping his professor and going after Voldemort, but Lupin looked to be holding his own, and Harry had little time to make up his mind. Wand at the ready, he made his choice and entered the school through the blown apart wall.
The torches lining the hallways that always seemed to burn no matter what time of day it was, were unlit, and the increasing sense of foreboding told Harry he was going in the right direction. He could not seem to shake the feeling that the scene in front of him was eerily reminiscent of a nightmare he had awoken from shaking some months before. He tried not to think about what he might find when he reached his destination.
The aching of his scar came back to him just as powerful as before, though he was not nearly as successful in quelling it away as he had done earlier. But he was successful enough that he become aware of the crackling bolt of red energy hurtling towards him a split second before it was too late. He threw himself out of harm's way, landing hard on his side, but avoiding the attack. Before a second bolt of energy could hit him, he shouted the defensive shield charm, protecting himself completely.
"At least you're attempting to make this challenging for me. But don't think I can't break through a silly little defensive charm," Voldemort's voice sneered.
"You won't think the rest of what I've learned is silly," Harry countered, hauling himself to his feet.
"You arrogant boy, I could destroy you where you stand. You are only delaying your demise."
In the time it took for Harry to take in a breath of air, Voldemort swooped down in front of him. He reached out with a skeletal-like index finger and plunged it deep into Harry's midsection, and started carving its way through. Harry screamed as the finger continued gouging deeper and deeper. It was pulled out as quickly as it had entered and an invisible force hurled him into the nearest wall. Gasping in agony, Harry put a hand against the wound. Looking down, he saw the blood flowing freely from it, covering his entire hand.
"If you thought I would let your death be easy and painless after your continuous attempts to thwart my coming into power, you are an even more stupid boy then I thought."
Harry brought himself shakily to his feet, his one hand clutching his wound and the other wrapped tightly around his wand as he shouted a curse at Voldemort. On a mortal human, it would have knocked them unconscious instantly, but it only had the effect of making the Dark Lord stumble slightly.
Voldemort retaliated with a curse of his own. Harry's defensive shield took the brunt of the attack, but it still had the effect of shaking him up. Before he could recover the Dark Lord struck again. The curse was unknown to Harry, and he thought Voldemort was using it to try and take his head off, but he had been aiming for his scar all along.
The pain was blinding and he felt his wand slip from his fingers. The fate of wizard kind rested on his hands and he could barely sit up. The protection spell wasn't working, and it was all his fault. He wasn't strong enough. Everyone was going to die if he didn't turn things around and stop Voldemort.
As paralyzing as the pain in his head was, he felt it starting to subside somewhat – or at the very least he was learning to tolerate it. He was struck by a sudden revelation. The only times he had felt the protection spell working were when his scar was in agony and he worried about letting everyone down. Suddenly Harry knew none of what he had been taught in class would help him win. Fighting Voldemort on his grounds made him no better then the Dark Lord. He only had one chance of defeating his enemy. It was using the weapons Voldemort did not possess.
He struggled to stand and face the thing that had haunted his dreams for as long as he could remember. The snake-like face had its thin lips curled up in a grotesque smile, sensing that victory was imminent. Harry left his wand where it lay on the floor and instead closed his eyes, hoping to summon the elements of the binding protection spell. He ignored the sinister laughter coming from his opponent.
"You make this too easy for me. If you think I'm going to spare your pathetic life, I will show you how gravely mistaken you are."
Even with his eyes shut, Harry sensed the impending attack, but strangely he was not afraid. He was gambling his life on a chance, but it was what he had to do – what he had been destined to do since the day of his birth. Win or lose, it would all be over shortly. A peacefulness he had never before known filled him. When the first curse wrapped itself around his body, it brought no pain with it. It even seemed to add to his own strength. He felt a bright light on his face, and opened his eyes to see what was happening. He soon realized that the light was coming from him. It seemed to stretch out in great beams in every direction. The instant they touched Voldemort he was screaming in agony. The light persisted, and within moments each beam was focused on the Dark Lord.
For Harry, he felt his years of friendship with Ron and Hermione stronger then he ever had before. The stronger the feelings got, the more agony Voldemort seemed to be in. He let his thoughts turn to Sirius, the man who had given him his first real family, and then to the Weasley's, his substitute family, who had treated him as he were one of their own. He kept letting the happy memories flood through him, and though Voldemort's screams were piercing his ears, it had no effect on him. He thought about the day Hagrid had explained to him what he was and then his first day at Hogwarts. His thoughts turned to Ginny and how if by some miracle he made it through this, he would tell her how he really felt. He would tell her he was in love with her and she was the best part of him.
Voldemort's body was shaking violently and looked as if it was being torn apart from the inside, when the light surrounding Harry exploded and with it shattered the Dark Lord into tiny pieces that vanished with the light before they hit the ground.
The strength Harry had been feeling filter through him was gone now, and he slumped to the ground in utter exhaustion. He forced his eyes to stay open. He needed to be sure that Voldemort was gone. But without even raising his head, he knew. The Dark Lord was gone. He had battled Voldemort for a final time and won. The reality of it all would have to wait, for Harry felt his eyelids growing heavy. He wanted nothing more to sleep. He wanted to but shouting voices that he recognized as Lupin and McGonagall kept him from doing so.
Lupin reached his side first. "Harry, are you all right? What happened?"
"He's gone," Harry mumbled weakly.
"It makes sense," said McGonagall. "we saw the surviving Death Eaters retreating."
"It was the spell," he said wearily.
"Harry, I want you to stay here. We're going back outside – "
"No, I'm coming with you," Harry protested. Using what little strength he had left, he forced himself to stand.
Seeing the futility in arguing, Lupin helped him outside.
They passed by numerous casualties, many of them badly bloodied and unconscious. They stopped only to aid the ones who had not yet received any help. Harry saw Seamus and a couple of Ravenclaws huddled around an unmoving figure. His heart leapt when he saw Hermione standing with them. She was cut and bruised but looked to have escaped with minimal injuries. But he felt the last of his strength ebb away when he saw who they were huddled around. Ron lay unmoving on the ground, his leg stretched out in awkward fashion.
Lupin left him standing where he was and hurried to help Seamus get Ron to his feet.
Hermione saw Harry standing there and ran to him, enfolding her arms tightly around him. She didn't say anything, and there was no need to. After everything they had seen and experienced, there were no words to express. It was enough that they were alive – that they had survived. Harry prayed that Ron was not seriously hurt. That was his final thought before his grip on Hermione slackened and he slumped to the ground.